26- Erica Meets Her Future Boyfriend
Summary: This is where Erica and Gerry meet.
Requested by: Angryfanfic
Erica huffed as she finished her 4th lap.
She'd started to practice running after spring break, just for some assurance.
She chugged her water and started to run another lap around the practicing baseball team.
Later, Erica was walking down the path in the park when a ball landed a couple feet in front of her.
"Homerun!" people were shouting. "Homerun!"
There was a boy who was running around the outer edges of the baseball field, arms in the air.
He stopped right before the second base.
"Hey!"
Erica stopped.
"Can you throw me the ball?"
It was the homerun guy.
Erica picked up the ball and tossed it to him.
He caught it, a sort of surprised look on his face.
"What were you expecting?" Erica asked with her usual snark. "Trust me, you haven't seen nothing yet."
Erica turned on her heels and walked away.
That was her first encounter with Gerry.
Erica looked out the window beside her booth as she slurped down her chocolate milkshake.
She was thinking about how this time last year, she was hustling Robin and Steve for ice cream samples.
She was thinking about how in 2 weeks, it would be the one-year anniversary of the Battle of Starcourt.
Max had been in a mood for a while, which is understandable.
Erica was pulled from her deep thoughts when she saw a familiar face walk in the diner.
He apparently recognized her too because he came up to her and said, "You're the girl from the park with the snark and who could throw a ball well."
Erica replied back, "And you're the homerun boy who was surprised that I could throw a ball."
"Just saying, haven't seen a girl able to do that in a long time." he said plopping in the seat across from her.
"So, any suggestions?" he asked.
"Excuse me!" Erica exclaimed.
"What?"
"Don't 'what' me," Erica said. "You just sat down in my booth without my consent, and I don't even know your name."
"Gerry McCarthy." he said. "And you are?"
"Erica Sinclair."
"Sinclair?" Gerry asked. "That sounds familiar."
"You probably are thinking of my brother, Lucas." Erica said taking another big sip of her milkshake.
"Oh, yeah!" Gerry said in realization. "Wasn't he involved with the thing that happened on spring break?"
Erica almost spewed her milkshake.
"How do you know that?"
"Turns out when you are live in a small town, people talk."
"Don't I know it." Erica said, rolling her eyes.
"So, what about spring break?" Gerry asked.
"Well, it all started with Chrissy Cunningham."
Erica then proceeded to tell the boy she literally just met 5 minutes ago the lie the whole Party came up with for the events of spring break.
After she was done, Gerry was speechless.
"Woah."
"Yeah, that's not even the beginning." Erica said.
"Wait," Gerry said after taking a sip of the chocolate milkshake that he got during Erica's explanation. "This has happened before?"
"Well, not exactly." Erica said. "But, yeah, at least three times before."
"Woah."
"Yep." Erica said, then having a question come to her mind. "Where are you from exact?"
"Georgia." Gerry told her.
"What's with the Irish accent?" Erica asked, confused.
"Family's from Ireland, don't know how I kept the accent."
"Interesting." Erica concluded.
Gerry nodded.
Erica glanced out of the window realizing that Steve and Robin were waiting for her in his car.
"Oh, shoot!" Erica exclaimed, climbing out of the seat. "Gotta go."
"Oh, okay." Gerry said, getting up with her. "See you around?"
"Maybe, homerun." Erica said. "Maybe."
With that Erica closed her second encounter with Gerry, walking to the car where a whole lot of questions were awaiting her.
Erica sat under the shady tree, waiting for her brother and Max.
It was July 4th, one year after the Battle of Starcourt.
Max was visiting Billy's grave, taking Lucas and Erica with her.
She decided to give the two love birds some privacy, hiking down the hill toward the shady tree she's been eyeing since they got there.
Erica was fine waiting; she had a lot to think about.
"Erica?" a voice asked.
"Homerun?" Erica said, seeing Gerry in his baseball outfit.
"What are you doing in the cemetery?" Gerry asked, helping himself to the patch of grass next to her.
"I could ask you the same thing." Erica said.
"I was walking back from practice." Gerry explained. "Now, what about you?"
"Max's stepbrother died today last year." Erica responded, nodding to the two silhouettes on the hill.
"Oh," was all Gerry said.
"Yep."
There were a few moments of silence before Erica spoke up.
"So, I didn't really ask about you the last time."
"Well, my family is from Ireland, as you know. I love playing baseball as you also probably know. My dad's an attorney, which is actually why we moved here, and my mom's a reporter. I don't have any siblings though; I've always wanted a little sister."
"No, you don't." Erica cut in. "We are annoying to the core, homerun."
"See, you have a nickname for me," Gerry remarked, smiling. "That means I should have a nickname for you. How 'bout..."
"I'm going to stop you right there." Erica said.
"Why?" Gerry whined.
"Because you are going to say something stupid, and that will end up with me punching you." Erica smirked.
"I'm going to think of one, Erica." Gerry said. "Just you wait."
"That would have been more threatening if you did have a nickname for me." Erica teased.
"Whatever." Gerry said, rolling his eyes. "I gotta head out, see you later?"
"Yeah, homerun."
"I'm going to think of one!" Gerry called back while he walked down the sidewalk.
"Oh, I can't wait!" Erica smiled.
"Erica!" Lucas was coming down the hill, with a tear-stained Max. "Who was that?"
Erica looked at the figure of Gerry walking away.
"A new friend."
AN: I hope you liked it, Angryfanfic! I need ideas for Erica's nickname. Maybe applejack? Or should she not have a nickname? What do you think? I'm up for options! Requests are open! Happy Halloween!